School Buses Recalled But City Not Affected

August 21, 1986|by DAN PEARSON, The Morning Call

Although they have not yet received official notice, many Lehigh Valley school officials learned yesterday that General Motors Corp. has issued a recall of 4,300 Chevrolet and GMC school buses of the model years 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986.

GM is concerned about a possible problem with the front brakes. In some cases, the recall announcement stated, severe brake "chatter" can cause mounting brackets to develop cracks that would limit braking ability. A fractured bracket also could restrict steering.

The company said it is unaware of any accidents or injuries caused by the problem. But it will ask that owners take the buses to GM dealers, who will inspect them and make any necessary repairs without charge. The fact that a GM school bus was manufactured during those four years does not mean it has the braking problem.

While some area school districts have their own fleet of buses, others contract for service from such large operators as Leibensperger School Transportation of Macungie and McCormack Equipment Co. of Allentown.

Leibensperger, which also sells buses, has mostly vehicles made by International Harvester Co., which last year changed its name to Navistar. Leibensperger owns comparatively few GM buses and got rid of some isolated "chatter" problems long ago by installing new brake linings, a spokesman said.

The Leibensperger spokesman said GM may have encountered a problem after it switched from a standard drum-type brake to a disc brake.

A check with the Parkland School District, which owns and maintains 75 buses of regular and short lengths, showed Parkland has 11 GM buses of the model years being recalled. But School Services Director Sterling Snyder said yesterday that none of the buses in the fleet, inspected by Pennsylvania State Police on Monday, has any known brake problem.

"Five of the GM buses have air brakes and the other six have hydraulic," said Snyder, who requires drivers to note any control or performance problems involving their vehicle on a special form. Then the vehicle is rolled into Parkland's own maintenance shop for an inspection. District personnel road- tested all buses this summer while getting them ready for the rigid state inspection.

But Snyder said yesterday he will re-inspect all the GM bus models mentioned in the recall and make sure they are safe for the start of school early next month. The majority of the vehicles in the Parkland fleet are made by International.

GM and International make only the engines, power trains and chassis of a school bus. Specialized companies such as Bluebird, Thomas and Carpenter manufacture the bodies to the specifications of the buyers.

While Allentown is the largest district in the Lehigh Valley, and one of the largest in the state, it does not own a single bus. Assistant Superintendent Samuel A. Miller said ASD rents vehicles and drivers from McCormack when it has to transport athletic teams, bands and other groups of students. Since it's an urban district, students are expected to walk to school, use the LANTA bus service or have their transportation provided.

By contrast, the Bethlehem Area School District is composed of five municipalities, including Bethlehem Township, which require it to have about 70 buses. But Transportation Director David Himmelberger said yesterday that Bethlehem's fleet does not include any GMC or Chevrolet buses indicated in the recall.

When contacted by The Morning Call, Himmelberger was putting in another 12-hour day getting Bethlehem's buses ready for the opening of the 1986-87 school term.